17 reservoir-controlled catchments in Baiquan county of the black soil region are selected, and the characteristics of soil erosion and sediment yield and their influencing factors are analyzed through correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) methods. The average area-specific annual sediment yield (SSY) varied obviously. Significant relation between SSY and catchment area was not found. SSY was significantly positively correlated with the mean slope (S), maximum elevation (Hmax), height difference (HD) and rainfall erosivity factor (R), and negatively correlated with the erosion control practice factor (P) and aggregation index (IA) at the 0.01 level. The main controlling factors of SSY derived from multi-factors regression were erosion control practice factor (P) and relief ratio (RR) that explained 68.0% of variance in sediment yield. PCA demonstrated that the first four components were catchment landscape level factor, catchment morphology, topography and soil erodibility factor explaining 25.1%, 13.8%, 7.1% and 26.1% for the sediment yield, respectively. The results indicate that unreasonable human activity and the degree of patch fragmentation should be reduced as far as possible and land structure should be adjusted to control soil loss of the black soil, Northeast China.

the black soil region of Northeast China; small catchment; soil erosion and sediment yield; correlation analysis; principal component analysis (PCA)